Their project involved writing more than 3,000 lines of code, carrying out large-scale data processing and simulations, and producing a detailed technical report using LaTeX. All four students contributed to research, programming, mathematical modelling, data analysis and technical writing.A four-member student team from Pune and Mumbai were bestowed with a Meritorious Award at the International Mathematical Modelling Challenge (IM²C) 2026, placing among the top 11 teams worldwide out of 68 teams representing 37 countries.The team comprises Tanish Rajesh Kulkarni of Bharati Vidyapeeth Rabindranath Tagore School of Excellence, Pune; Anshveer Bindra of Oberoi International School, JVLR, Mumbai; and Nipun Saha and Vedansh Saha of Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai. The team was among the top two teams in India in the national round and was selected to represent the country at the international competition.Following their selection, the students attended the IM²C Summit and Award Ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, from August 5 to 9, 2026. The award ceremony was held at the Harvard Science Center on the campus of Harvard University. During their visit, the students also toured Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), gaining exposure to two of the world’s leading academic institutions.The team was accompanied by its advisor, Dr. Sagar Shrivastava, a postdoctoral researcher at Iowa State University.Organised by the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP), the International Mathematical Modelling Challenge encourages students to apply mathematics to complex real-world problems. Teams of up to four students work intensively over five days to develop mathematical models using mathematical analysis, computational methods, data processing and evidence-based decision-making.This year’s challenge focused on risk management in Etosha National Park in Namibia. Teams were provided with geographical, environmental and demographic data and tasked with developing a risk model for the park and optimising the allocation of limited conservation resources. The challenge involved assessing threats such as tourist-wildlife interactions, poaching, forest fires and other natural hazards.Team India developed a data-driven and spatially informed framework to identify high-priority regions, assess major risks and determine an effective strategy for deploying limited conservation resources. The students conducted extensive research, tested multiple modelling approaches and continually refined their methodology during the five-day competition.Story continues below this adTheir project involved writing more than 3,000 lines of code, carrying out large-scale data processing and simulations, and producing a detailed technical report using LaTeX. All four students contributed to research, programming, mathematical modelling, data analysis and technical writing.Meanwhile Team India secured second place at the European Tournament of Enthusiastic Apprentice Mathematicians (ETEAM) 2026, an international mathematics research competition for high-school students held at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland, from July 31 to August 6. The Indian team comprised Anirudh Kannan (Team Captain), Anubhav Bhattacharjee, Arham Gada, Manya Kamal, Tanish Kulkarni and Yaadvi Chopra. The team leaders were Rithik Labroo, who holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata and Dr. Sagar Shrivastava, a postdoctoral researcher at Iowa State University and advisor to the team. Both accompanied the students to Lausanne. The team competed under the name Team CATS.All six students are participants of the Lodha Genius Programme at Ashoka University. As part of their preparation for ETEAM, they underwent a year-long Continued Learning Course focused on advanced mathematics and preparation for the competition. The course was conducted by Dr. Sagar Shrivastava, with Rithik Labroo assisting with the programme. It included regular training, practice, and mock assessments, which formed part of the selection process to identify the students who would represent India at ETEAM 2026. The team’s participation in ETEAM 2026 was sponsored by the Lodha Foundation.